Improvement in producing gases from hydrocarbons



W72 www) N. PETERS. PHOTO-L THOGRAF WASHINGTON U C.

XAVIER MOSSARD,

U NIET-nn AS'rnrns PATENT Dumon.

OF PARIS, FRANCE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRODUCING GASES FROM HYDRoCARBoNs.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 113,192, dated March 28,1871.

vTo all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, XAVIER MoUssARD, of Par-is, in the French Empire,have invented Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Gases forLighting and Heating Purposes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the au nexed drawing, making a part of the same.'

This invention consists of an improved selfacting apparatus forcarbureting atmospheric air for the production of gases for lighting andheating purposes.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, I will proceedto describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, whichshows a central vertical section of my said apparatus.

My invention relates to an improved mechanism for automaticallyrregulating the amount of gas produced in vaporizing schist, petroleum,&c., so that it may be more or less rapid, according to the amount drawnoff from the reservoir or gasometer; andV the invention consists in soarranging a perforated discharge-tube in connection with a bellsuspended by weights, and with the burner beneath the reservoircontaining the schist, petroleum, or other matter to be vaporized, thatwhen a bell is lowered by escape of gas, a larger number of aperturesshall be uncovered to increase the volume of gas conducted to theburner, and when the bell is raised by an accumulation of gas in thereservoir, a smaller number of apertures shall be exposed, so as todiminish the discharge of gas to the burner, all as hereinafterexplained.

The reservoir of material or liquid for feeding the boiler a,whichproduces the jet of vapor, is connected to the said boiler by a pipe, b,provided with a regulating-cock, c. This reservoir is placed at agreater height than is necessary, to counterbalance the pressure ofvapor which forms the jet; or said reservoir may only be partiallyfilled with liquid, so as to leave a lm of air at its upper part, whichmay be compressed to any number of atmospheres.

The vapor generated from petroleum, schist, or other liquid or substanceemployed escapes from the boiler a, under pressure, through a pipe, d,terminating in a nozzle within a small chamber, f. This chamber f is incommunication with a tube, g, open to the atmosphere, and with a secondtube, h, of rather larger diameter than tube d, with which it coincidesin direction. The tube g is furnished with two valves-the one z'operated by a lever to close it to the atmosphere,- as hereinafterexplained, and the other, j, placed within the chamber f.

The frame of the apparatus is composed of two vertical standards, 7c 7c,connected at their upper ends by a cross-piece, l,`

m isa casing, which serves as a support for the boiler a, and continesthe heat from the burner tothe side of the boiler, to every part ofwhich it has free access. u is the chimney. o is a chamber lled withpumicestone, coke, cotton-waste, felt, or other absorbent. This chamberis provided-with diaphragms or curtains p, which detain the gas andprolong its circulation.

g r are pipes in communication with chamber o. The pipe q is connectedto the crosspiece through which pipe r passes, and forms an escape oreduction pipe for the gas generated.

y .s is a burner for heating the boiler a.

t is a bell-chamber, sustained, in addition to the pressure of the gas,by counter-weights u u. On this chamber t are mounted pipes o, slidingtelescopically within other pipes, rv, that are firmly secured to thecross-piece l, the space between being filled with water to prevent theescape of gas.

y is a tube, connected to chamber t, for conducting the gas to theburner. This tube y slides telescopically within tube a of the burner,both being inclosed by an outer tube, z. Tube a is carried by thecrosspiece l, and contains another tube, b', perforated throughout itslength.

c is a horizontal pipe connecting the pipes vz o, to maintain the samelevel of water wi thin each.

The whole being arranged as described, the action of the apparatus is asfollows: The petroleum, schist, or other matters employed is vaporizedin boiler a, whence the vapores capes by the tube d, through the nozzleof which it is injected into chamber f. The jet of vapor passing intotube h induces a current of atmospheric air within tube g, the air andvapor passing together through pipe q into chamber 0,' filled withabsorbent `material, whence the mixture of air and vapor escapes throughthe outlet-pipe 1'.

. The chamber ois provided with perforations, through which the gasenters the bell-chamber t, which rises in proportion as the gas isproduced or generated. This bell t has also a water-joint, to preventleakage and wear.

A small quantity of gas escapes from the bell t through pipe y, tosupply the burner s, passing out through the perforations in pipe b',which are above the level of the water, and thence into the annularYVspace between this tube b and the outer one, a', until it finallyreaches burner s.

From the foregoing arrangement it will be seen that if the bell hassufficient gas stored within it to -serve for the supply, it remainsstationary; and if the supply of gas con tained diminishes', it n falls,thereby uncovering a greater number ofapertures in tube b', and allowinga greater quantity of gas to beA supplied to the burner, thevaporization and consequent formation of gas being thereby accelerated.The bell rises as the gas is generated, the water closing the holes orapertures in the same proportion, whereby less gas will be supplied tothe burner, so as to gradually lessen the production or generation ofgas in the apparatus.

Finally, when the bell is entirely lled, the holes or apertures providedin tube b will all be immersed, and no more gas will be supplied to theburner. For greater security or safety I dispose upon one of the pipeso, conjointly with the bell, a small tappet, d', which, -when the latterrises to the full extent, acts on the lever of valve t, and closes thelatter to prevent the introduction of air through pipe g.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that theapparatus has an automatic action. Instead of making perforations intube b', I may make a slot throughout its length, the action being thesame as before, said-slot being covered more or less by the Water, toallow of the admission of a larger or smaller quantity of gas in a givenlength of time.

If desired, the tube b may be dispensed with, and a cock or valvesubstituted, to be actuated by the motion of the bell; or the latter mayoperating in a cold state, as in these cases there always remains asediment containing matters which are utilizable by distillation.

The gas produced in the above manner may be employed for illuminatinglight-houses, beacons, railway-carriages, and otherwise, and for heatingsteam-boilers, cooking, and other heating purposes, by means ofj ets ofvapors ofpetroleum, schist, or other matters, which, on being projectedinto alarger tube, induce a current of air for carbureting the latter,in the manner hereinbefore described.

The quantity of air admitted and to be mixed with a given quantity ofvapor is regulated by varying the position of the nozzle of injector dwith regard to the larger air-tube h, leading to the bell.

Claim.

XR. MOUSSARD. LL. s]

Witnesses:

C. Aivor, A. GUIoN, Jr.

